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Photo: Gozu
Chefs in Singapore have no shortage of opportunities. Restaurant kitchens of every ilk across the island are constantly in search of talent. Yet these Singaporeans chose to establish their culinary careers abroad.
One moved for love but went on to start her fine-dining restaurant in Sweden. Another left to intern in San Francisco and stayed for the career opportunities. And another ventured away to find the recognition he deserves.
Despite living their best lives in their adopted homes, the trio agree on a single home truth: Singapore will always be home in their hearts. In the last installment of this three-part series, we spotlight Singaporean chefs who have made their mark overseas.
Photo: Gozu
Chef Peggy Tan
Chef de cuisine of Gozu in San Francisco
The lure of cooking has drawn Peggy Tan to the kitchens of some of Singapore’s best-known restaurants, including Iggy’s and Le Dame de Pic. But it is in San Francisco that her career has taken off. As chef de cuisine at wagyu-focused restaurant Gozu, which boasts a mention in the Michelin Guide San Francisco, Tan oversees the execution of chef-owner Marc Zimmerman’s culinary ideas.
Tan clarifies that a wagyu tasting menu isn’t about eating beef at every course. “It’s about incorporating the nuances of beef into every dish and about sustainability, which is something I’m passionate about when it comes to food,” she adds.
“We find techniques to make short ribs into bacon or turn wagyu fat into lardo. It brings me a lot of joy to be working with a small team that I’ve cherry-picked and who allows me to create this kind of food and figure out new techniques.” Dishes include vanilla-cured wagyu top cap served over fresh yuba and soy milk soubise, and wagyu tartare with black trumpet mushrooms and nori creme fraiche in a crisp seaweed shell.
Photo: Joseph Weaver
Apart from the 10 months during which she returned to Singapore in the thick of the pandemic, the 31-year-old has called San Francisco home since 2014 when she first arrived to intern at Alexander Steakhouse. But home, as the adage goes, is where the heart is, and Tan has plans to return to Singapore in the next five years to take care of her parents, who are now in their early 70s.
“In San Francisco, you are free to be who you want to be, while Singapore is more conservative,” she said when asked how different life is for her in America’s Golden State. “This will be controversial, but I’ve always felt like there are more opportunities for foreigners in Singapore when it comes to filling top positions in hotels and restaurants. I think people still have the perception that an Italian restaurant must have an Italian chef for the food to be good,” she says.
“Still, I wouldn’t say one place is better than the other because in Singapore, being close to family is a huge advantage. Being able to have friends and family to rely on back home is a big burden lifted. So I look forward to coming home.”
